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“Angelo told me about the fake fire at Vitale’s and what that guy said to him about my dad not being innocent. He’s been friends with Sean O’Shea for almost as long as Angelo Sr. The Irish are known for their car bombs.”
“So are we, G. That was how Mr. Morelli killed Jimmy Scags back in the day. It doesn’t prove a thing.”
“The papers tell me everything I need to know.” I pointed at the folder in his hand. “My dad’s smart, but not smart enough to delete his paper trail. He’s always kept a trail as proof of the favors he repaid to Angelo Sr. in case he needed to use it against him.”
“All he did was build a case against himself.” Sonny smirked and slid the folder across the desk to me. “Not too smart.”
“Unfortunately, this proves nothing. The fact he used my mother’s life insurance policy to pay off the balance he owed on land we were going to use to expand our steel manufacturing operation is nothing more than a coincidence, and without any evidence left behind, the police were unable to make any connections. The car was blown to bits along with my mom. The cops had nothing to fingerprint and no link back to the person who made the bomb.”
Sonny pushed himself up from the chair and came over to my side of the desk. “I think you’re on to something.”
“But we have to prove it. I can’t walk into City Hall and accuse my dad of murdering my mom without something to substantiate my accusation.”
“You sound like a lawyer,” he deadpanned.
I smirked. “Because I am a lawyer. Now, help me find the missing pieces. They have to be somewhere in this office.”
Three hours later, Sonny and I were on the floor with papers and ledgers everywhere. Faith was on her puzzle piece blanket next to me, propped up against my thigh. She swatted her tiny hand at me to get my attention, and when I looked over at her and smiled, she giggled. I kissed her on top of her head, breathing in the scent of her baby shampoo, the smell burrowing into my nostrils.
Part of me felt guilty for searching for evidence against my father, especially when I had Faith to think about. She was already down one grandparent. Her other grandfather was a sadistic criminal. At least Angelo’s mother was a sweet woman who would do anything for Faith.
My stomach rumbled around six o’clock. Faith heard it and leaned closer, attempting to touch my stomach with her hand. “Mommy’s hungry,” I told her in my baby voice.
“So is Uncle Sonny,” Sonny added. “But I think I found something.”
I lifted Faith in my arms and sat her on my lap, facing Sonny. She smiled when she saw him, her eyes lighting up. His stiff features softened when he locked on to Faith.
“Wha
t did you find?”
He bit the inside of his cheek, a sure tell Sonny was nervous. After twenty years of friendship, I knew Sonny as well as I knew Angelo.
“Your dad was responsible for the accident.”
His revelation made my entire body grow rigid. Even Faith noticed my tension. She tilted her head back to look up at me, and the first tear began to fall, followed by a rainfall I couldn’t stop once it started. I’d been trying to keep my shit together for the past few hours, all while hoping my father was innocent, and that the life insurance policy was a coincidence.
Sonny moved next to me and took Faith from me, hugging us both against his thick chest. He smelled spicy and manly. I laid my head on his shoulder and sobbed for my mother. Cried out in pain for her. I mourned the loss of her, the loss of my father’s humanity.
Where did we go wrong? We were supposed to be the good guys. He was never supposed to be like the Made men he grew up with.
“Are you sure?” I glanced up at Sonny who nodded in affirmation.
“I’m sorry, G. I found a lot of small cash withdraws and a note that says, O’Shea ten-thirty.”
I stopped crying long enough to choke out, “The time my mother was murdered.”
He held me tight, whispering he was sorry into my ear, as he comforted both Faith and me. My daughter was crying now too, mostly because she was mimicking me. Sonny kissed each of us on the head and wrapped us up in his warmth.
Faith had no idea why her mother was so upset. Now that I was a mother, I understood what my mom went through for all those years. It killed her on the inside how my father made a living. She wanted a better life for me, one that didn’t involve the Mafia. I wanted that for my daughter, too. But would I ever be free?
I would never leave Angelo. He was my entire world. My heart didn’t beat without him in my life. Faith deserved a father, one who could provide for her. Angelo was that man. Even though he had his flaws, he was a good man. He loved us unconditionally and would do anything to protect us. That’s why I didn’t understand why my father would betray me. Why he would betray my mother’s trust.
Husbands and wives said vows, promised to love each other until death do they part. Did he ever love my mom? For years, my father stood by and allowed her to fall to pieces. He watched her crumbled and break into tiny slivers of the woman we once knew. I never had a real mother because of him. Not until the night of her death did I see the woman I used to admire. And then he killed her.
“How could he do this?” I screamed the words, tears streaming down my face. “How could he do this to her? To me? My dad said everything he ever did was for us.”
“Some people place their own survival above those they love,” Sonny muttered, stroking my hair. “They’re called cowards. Your dad cared more about pleasing Mr. Morelli and saving his own ass. I wish that weren’t true, but the paper trail doesn’t lie. He was stupid for keeping a record of everything, but at least he did. Otherwise, you never would have known the truth. So, what do you want me to do?”
